Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics

Administrative Office - San Francisco

415-422-2592

Program Director: James Forcier, Ph.D.

Associate Program Director: Bonnie Shaw, M.A.

Designed for the working professional, the Applied Economics (AE) curriculum equips students to apply economic reasoning and tools to organizational decision-making. Combining a foundation in managerial economics with an emphasis on practical decision making, the Applied Economics program encourages the integration of classroom and workplace experience. By focusing on the mastery of economic techniques, the AE major aims to develop in its students the analytical skills critical for succeeding in the rapidly changing domestic and global economies.

Program Objectives

• To identify, apply and evaluate the tools of economic analysis and understand how these tools may be used to improve organizational decisions and business planning.
• To serve the professional needs of bankers, investment managers, stock brokers, real estate personnel, financial planners, general managers and others who require state-of-the-art exposure to economic analysis.
• To be aware of the ethical concerns that arise in business and how an understanding of economics can help in addressing them.
• To fuse service learning with cutting-edge competitive strategy, thereby enlarging the student's vision of public, private and non-profit interaction in today's economy.

Program Requirements

Students are required to complete the 37 semester units of credit included in the Applied Economics program. Required courses are sequenced as follows:

• PSIS - 307 Experience and Critical Writing
• PSIS - 308 Advanced Expository Writing
• AE - 321 Microeconomics
• PSIS - 304 Social Ethics
• AE - 311 Macroeconomics
• AE - 314 Statistics
• INTD - 300 Non-Western Literature: Africa, the Caribbean, South Pacific
• AE - 326 Accounting for Managers
• AE - 328 Economics for Managers
• AE - 437 Financial Decision-Making
• AE - 440 International Trade and Investment
• AE - 490 Current Issues in Applied Economics
• AE - 492 Strategic Economic Analysis

Please see Applied Economics Interdisciplinary Studies Course Descriptions.

Please see Applied Economics Course Descriptions.

Degree Requirements

• Complete 128 semester units of credit.
• Complete the Applied Economics major requirements.
• Satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements.
• Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics, a graduate will have acquired:

• Enhanced business decision-making skills, particularly as they relate to competitive challenges in domestic and international markets
• An understanding of quantitative and forecasting methodologies that pertain to the development and execution of effective business strategy.
• Knowledge of financial management tools used in making business, operational and investment decisions.
• An awareness of competitive analysis and techniques for positioning a firm to maximize its profitability, market share, and operational strength.
• Knowledge of planning tools and approaches for designing and directing a firm's strategy.
• An understanding of macroeconomic indicators sufficient to predict and dissect the business cycle.
• Knowledge of international trade and investment and the financial methods employed by multinational corporations.